


Distracting

by queen_scribbles



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:22:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26421826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: Nate find AJ incredibly distracting. Fortunately, the feeling's mutual.
Relationships: Female Detective/Nathaniel "Nate" Sewell
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Distracting

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr prompt fill for storyknitter that, as usual, ran away with me. ;)

Very few things could distract Nate from reading. Newly settled at the top of that short list was a certain quiet, redheaded detective he was fairly certain remained unaware just how distracting her freckles and warm smile and enchantingly deep blue eyes actually _were_. 

Deep blue eyes that were currently closed as AJ napped on the couch, one arm flung over her head and her sock-clad feet braced against the side of Nate’s leg. She’d mentioned having a long day at work and apparently--once again--that was an understatement. She’d barely made it a handful of pages into her book before starting to drift off. While Nate wouldn’t have minded in the slightest serving as her pillow, the fact she’d curled over the other way as she succumbed to slumber gave him a much better view.

One that kept pulling his eyes away from the page every few words. The sight of Abigail so settled and comfortable, loose curls of hair drifting across her face as she slept, was adorable. And more than a little distracting. Every so often she would hum or mumble nonsense syllables and the clearly pleasant bent of her dreams made him smile.

Nate was on the verge of giving up his attempts to focus on his book when AJ’s brow furrowed. Slightly at first, but quickly deeper.

_“No_ ,” she mumbled, shifting with obvious unease, “ _g’way_.” She swung her arm down in a half-hearted defensive arc before she hugged both arms close to her chest protectively. One leg curled in as well, the other kicking out to flop across Nate’s lap.

He dropped his book on the table, not bothering to mark his page, and rested one hand lightly on her shin. “AJ.”

She didn’t seem to hear him, muttering nonsense as she yanked that leg in as well. She kicked out with both feet, just grazing his hip as he moved to kneel next to the couch instead of sitting on it.

“ _AJ_ ,” Nate, repeated, concern furrowing his brow as he swept the loose curls back from her face. She was pale enough to make her freckles stand out all the more sharply, and he brushed his thumb over her cheek at the sight.

She whimpered, jerking away from the contact, and his heart squeezed at the memory of her confession what happened with Murphy still lingered in her thoughts. Her dreams. _“I don’t suppose, in our line of work, I’m likely to get away without some kind of nightmares_.”She’d tried to sound brave about it, but he’d seen the look in her eyes.

_“I wish I could say you would. I truly do.”_ The sentiment was as true now as when he’d first said it. Nate moved his hand down to her arm, held gentle but firm when she started to buck away. “ _Abigail_ , it’s me.”

She stilled, but her face remained screwed up in fear. He shifted his hand ever so slightly and she recoiled with enough force to slam her elbow into the back of the couch. Something about the impact broke her nightmare’s hold on her; dark blue eyes snapping open, full of terrified panic as they met his gaze, and she bolted half-upright with a harsh gasp.

“You’re safe,” Nate promised softly, moving to sit next to her and brushing the curls back again when they fell in her eyes.

“Nate?” Her voice sounded so _small_. She caught his hand as he started to pull back, held it tight.

“I’m here,” he assured her, lacing his fingers between hers and pulling her hand closer so he could kiss the palm. “It was just a dream.” He hesitated. “Another one about Murphy?”

“Good guess,” AJ nodded, her attempt at a wry laugh coming out far more like a sob. “He...got away, with me, took me somewhere he” --she shuddered--”wouldn’t have t’ _share_ , an’ I-I knew you were lookin’ for me, but you couldn’t... couldn’t...”

“Come here.” Nate gave her hand a gentle tug, but waited for her to start moving toward him to pull her into his lap, her back to his chest as he held her close. “That was a dream,” he murmured, panic welling in his own throat at the mere thought of it becoming reality. “Murphy doesn’t have you. You escaped all on your own.” _Because you’re just that amazing._ He tightened his grip briefly, one arm around her waist and the other her shoulders. AJ rested her hands on his arm as he relaxed his grip and continued,” We did find you. You’re fine” --he wondered if she caught the hitch to his voice at the memory of when she _wasn’t_ \--”and everything’s alright.”

“Except Murphy got away,” AJ muttered.

_Except that,_ Nate conceded silently. He hugged her closer, kissed her temple. “He’s not going to get you.”

“You won’t let him,” she said softly, and tilted her head to kiss the back of his hand as it gripped her shoulder.

“Never,” he promised, and finally sensed her racing heart start to slow. “None of us will.”

AJ nodded and relaxed back against his chest. The silence stretched, her thumbs rubbing small arcs against his arm, but her breath stayed shaky, even as the adrenaline faded.

“AJ,” Nate began, letting his grip go slack so both arms now wrapped loosely around her waist. “Why don’t your socks match?” It was both a way to distract her and genuine curiosity.

She giggled, and though the sound still shook a little, it was definitely lighter. “Oh. Yesterday was laundry day an’ I haven’t had a chance t’ put things away yet.” She curled her toes and examined the socks, the left one pale pink with white hearts and the right lavender with white flowers. “I match pairs as I put ‘em in the drawer. I left in a hurry this mornin’, so I just grabbed two without lookin’ if they matched.”

He smiled and rested his chin on her shoulder. “I see.”

“I’ve done it on purpose before,” she admitted, leaning her head against his. “But t’day was just bein’ in a rush.”

His smile widened--that did sound like her--and he took her hand in his, palm to back, lacing their fingers together and rubbing his thumb back and forth over hers. “You’ve been in a rush a lot lately.”

Abigail shrugged. “Paperwork at m’day job doesn’t go away just b’cause _we_ ” --she squeezed his hand--”aren’t dealin’ with a crisis. I’m just tryin’ t’ keep up.”

Nate laughed. “A fair point. Would coffee help with that?”

“I mean, I’m done for th’ day, but you know I _never_ turn down coffee,” she said with a smile. It actually reached her eyes and internally Nate breathed a sigh of relief. Rather than hop to her feet, however, AJ twisted to be sideways in his lap, freeing her hand so she could rest both on his shoulders. Her fingers curled into his shirt collar as she met his gaze. “Nate?”

“Yes, Abigail?” he said softly.

“Thank you. For distractin’ me.” One hand slid up to rest along his jaw and Nate could barely breathe. “It helped a lot.”

“I’m glad,” he managed, voice little more than a hoarse whisper. _I hate seeing you like that._

AJ smiled, wide and warm, but he only got to enjoy the sight for a heartbeat before she leaned in to kiss him, her hands briefly lingering against his jaw on their way further back to dig into his hair, and Nate _couldn’t_ breathe(not that he needed to. But the sentiment held).

His grip on her waist tightened by instinct, one thumb just edging under her shirt to graze the skin. (He wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, caught up in the moment as he was.) AJ hummed a short, happy sound and pressed briefly deeper into the kiss before breaking it.

“I don’t believe it,” she said drolly as she sat back enough to meet his eyes, breathless and with her arms still loosely around his neck.

“What?” Nate asked, arching a brow and trying not to dwell on the deep warmth in his chest at the mildly disoriented look in her eyes.

“No interruption.” She grinned. “No Felix or Mason or Mum with the worst timin’ known to man, no emergencies...”

Nate laughed softly. “It does appear the curse is broken.”

Abigail chuckled, then her expression softened as she studied his face. She raised one hand to trace her fingers from his brow to cheek to jaw, her thumb rubbing against his skin when she stopped, and murmured, “You make a very good distraction from whatever my nightmares throw at me, Agent Sewell.”

He smiled and reached over to tuck the wayward curls behind her ear. “Happy to help anytime you need me, Detective Jenings,” he returned just as quietly, before leaning in for another kiss.

This time their lips had barely met when his phone buzzed and Nate broke away with a growl. He’d never wanted to throw the thing across the room as _badly_ as he did just then.

“Spoke too soon, it seems,” he groaned instead.

AJ giggled. “Maybe it’s like birthday wishes, yeah? Y’talk about it, it won’t come true.” She kissed him on the cheek and slid (reluctantly, if he was any judge) off his lap. “I’ll take an IOU on the coffee ‘case whatever that is is important.”

While he couldn’t really think of anything more important than _her_ , she did have a point. But he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.

Nate caught her hand before she could step out of reach, and AJ turned back to him with a smile that said she had a good guess where this was going. She was right, of course, and he couldn’t help matching her smile as he pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. She bit her lip, as she usually did, and went just a little red(also usual). But then she curled her hand tighter into his and tugged so he’d stand. She hugged him, head tucked under his chin, then stepped back.

“Remember you owe me coffee,” she said with a smile as she plunked down on the couch and reached for her boots.

“Little fear I’ll forget that,” Nate chuckled. He ran one hand through his hair and turned to leave-

Only for AJ to grab his other hand and bring it to her lips, brushing a quick, soft kiss against his knuckles and then dropping it in one smooth motion.

“I see why you like doin’ that,” she mumbled, face definitely the same color as her hair now.

Nate bit back the threatening laugh for fear she’d take it the wrong way. “Abigail-”

His phone buzzed again.

She cleared her throat. “You should go see what they want.” A bashful smile. “Before they come lookin’ And I should head home, anyway.”

The truth of the statement didn’t make him like it any more. “We can at least walk part of the way together, then.”

“That we can,” she agreed.

He wound up walking her all the way to her car without even realizing it. She was, after all, very distracting.


End file.
